Bachelor of Arts
Fascinated by the history and creative activities of humankind, and how they shape societies and our future? Then a Bachelor of Arts (BA) is for you. Our graduates are in demand for their flexible skills, practical outlook, and depth of understanding.
360 points, 3 years
Hamilton, Tauranga
Papers offered differ by location. Find a Paper for full location info.
Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July)
Why study the Bachelor of Arts?
With a Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) you gain an internationally recognised degree, leading to diverse career opportunities. Through your study you will develop sector-specific analytical abilities and research experience, well-honed written and verbal communication skills, and a broad perspective on the world and its various cultures.
Depending on the major subject you choose, the Bachelor of Arts Degree may be taken within the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology, and Social Sciences, the Division of Education, and the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies.
Career opportunities
- Communications Advisor
- Composer
- Creative Art Director
- Creative Performer
- Cultural Advisor
- Designer
- Events manager
- Journalist
- Media Producer
- Professional Writer
360 points, 3 years
Hamilton, Tauranga
Papers offered differ by location. Find a Paper for full location info.
Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July)
Degree information
-
Plan your study -
Subjects Choose a subject
Browse available subjects and choose one for more information.
Browse BA subjects Browse available subjects and choose one for more information
Minor subjects Or undertake a minor in any other subject within the University.
-
Entry requirements There are five ways you can gain admission to the University of Waikato.
- NCEA University Entrance
- Admission at entrance level
- Discretionary entrance
- University Entrance prior to 2015
- Special admission.
For full details visit Entry Requirements.
You will be eligible to apply for this degree if you have University Entrance and meet any additional requirements for the qualification. All other applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Some first-year papers may have specific prerequisites, so please check the catalogue of papers carefully. If you do not meet the prerequisites, please contact alpss@waikato.ac.nz (School of Arts and School of Social Sciences), law.reception@waikato.ac.nz (Faculty of Law) or fmis@waikato.ac.nz (Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies) as there may be other pathways that you can take to study in this field.
As an international student studying at undergraduate level, you are required to meet English language and academic entry requirements.
View Entry requirements for undergraduate international students.
-
Fees and scholarships Estimated fees
$7,542 - $8,787 per year
-
Domestic tuition fees
Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for domestic students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
Domestic tuition costs -
Scholarships
Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.
Scholarships Finder
Relevant as of 08 December 2025.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. View information about fees free study.
Estimated fees
$32,440 - $42,230 per year
-
International tuition fees
Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for international students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
International tuition costs -
Scholarships
Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.
Scholarships Finder
Relevant as of 08 December 2025.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees.
-
-
Graduate outcomes Bachelor of Arts graduates will have advanced knowledge in at least one of the arts disciplines listed above. They will also develop a breadth of knowledge across the arts through study of a supporting subject or subjects.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts will able to:
- access and engage critically with information presented in a range of media and styles;
- make intellectual judgements, demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to multiple perspectives, approaches, and theories;
- critically evaluate current scholarship and knowledge in the arts disciplines;
- analyse and evaluate information and formulate reasoned arguments;
- demonstrate an awareness of the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi;
- demonstrate an awareness of and respect for multiple cultural perspectives;
- communicate in cross-cultural contexts
- apply a high level of communication skills in English and/or Māori and/or other languages, such as Chinese, French, Korean, Japanese and Spanish;
- demonstrate a familiarity with the appropriate conventions for formal academic communication in the arts disciplines;
- communicate clearly and to express sophisticated and subtle concepts and arguments to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
- conceptualise, design and implement a project and to adapt the project in the light of unforeseen problems;
- solve problems by synthesizing and critically assessing information and applying it appropriately;
- demonstrate awareness and understanding of ethical issues related to their area of the arts.
- be self-directed in their approach and to plan their work to meet time and other constraints;
- apply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied, including the application of those principles in an employment context;
- work cooperatively with diverse groups and individuals and contribute effectively to collective projects;
- contribute to the ongoing development of relevant communities;
- determine criteria for evaluating their own and others’ performance in relation to a task.
Browse available subjects and choose one for more information
Or undertake a minor in any other subject within the University.
There are five ways you can gain admission to the University of Waikato.
- NCEA University Entrance
- Admission at entrance level
- Discretionary entrance
- University Entrance prior to 2015
- Special admission.
For full details visit Entry Requirements.
You will be eligible to apply for this degree if you have University Entrance and meet any additional requirements for the qualification. All other applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Some first-year papers may have specific prerequisites, so please check the catalogue of papers carefully. If you do not meet the prerequisites, please contact alpss@waikato.ac.nz (School of Arts and School of Social Sciences), law.reception@waikato.ac.nz (Faculty of Law) or fmis@waikato.ac.nz (Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies) as there may be other pathways that you can take to study in this field.
As an international student studying at undergraduate level, you are required to meet English language and academic entry requirements.
View Entry requirements for undergraduate international students.
Estimated fees
$7,542 - $8,787 per year
-
Domestic tuition fees
Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for domestic students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
Domestic tuition costs -
Scholarships
Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.
Scholarships Finder
Relevant as of 08 December 2025.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. View information about fees free study.
Estimated fees
$32,440 - $42,230 per year
-
International tuition fees
Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for international students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
International tuition costs -
Scholarships
Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.
Scholarships Finder
Relevant as of 08 December 2025.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees.
Bachelor of Arts graduates will have advanced knowledge in at least one of the arts disciplines listed above. They will also develop a breadth of knowledge across the arts through study of a supporting subject or subjects.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts will able to:
- access and engage critically with information presented in a range of media and styles;
- make intellectual judgements, demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to multiple perspectives, approaches, and theories;
- critically evaluate current scholarship and knowledge in the arts disciplines;
- analyse and evaluate information and formulate reasoned arguments;
- demonstrate an awareness of the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi;
- demonstrate an awareness of and respect for multiple cultural perspectives;
- communicate in cross-cultural contexts
- apply a high level of communication skills in English and/or Māori and/or other languages, such as Chinese, French, Korean, Japanese and Spanish;
- demonstrate a familiarity with the appropriate conventions for formal academic communication in the arts disciplines;
- communicate clearly and to express sophisticated and subtle concepts and arguments to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
- conceptualise, design and implement a project and to adapt the project in the light of unforeseen problems;
- solve problems by synthesizing and critically assessing information and applying it appropriately;
- demonstrate awareness and understanding of ethical issues related to their area of the arts.
- be self-directed in their approach and to plan their work to meet time and other constraints;
- apply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied, including the application of those principles in an employment context;
- work cooperatively with diverse groups and individuals and contribute effectively to collective projects;
- contribute to the ongoing development of relevant communities;
- determine criteria for evaluating their own and others’ performance in relation to a task.
Bachelor of Arts with Honours
Entry
In general, to be admitted to the BA(Hons) you must have a B grade average in the 300 level papers of your undergraduate major subject. You need to have majored in the same subject for your undergraduate degree as that in which you intend to enrol at graduate level. In some cases, a substantial undergraduate supporting subject may be sufficient prerequisite.
A number of the graduate subjects/programmes are interdisciplinary in nature, and may accept students with appropriate undergraduate majors in other relevant subjects. Admission criteria may vary so please consult the appropriate programme Graduate Adviser for their specific admission criteria.
Requirements
The Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)) involves two semesters of full-time study, or the equivalent in part-time study. The BA(Hons) comprises 120 points at 500 level, of which at least 30 points must be in research, normally a 30 point dissertation or an approved equivalent. The BA(Hons) is awarded with classes of honours.
BA(Hons) subjects
- Anthropology
- Education and Society
- English
- Geography
- History
- Māori and Indigenous Studies
- Music
- Pacific and Indigenous Studies
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Screen and Media Studies
- Social Policy
- Sociology
- Theatre Studies
Notes
Māori and Indigenous Studies and Pacific and Indigenous Studies can be taken for the BA(Hons), but students must enrol through the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies.
International Relations and Security Studies, although not available for Honours, may be taken as a subject for the Postgraduate Diploma.
Flexibility
You may take up to 60 points from other subjects, of which up to 30 points may be taken from outside the subjects listed for the degree. You should discuss your intended programme of study with the Graduate Adviser in each of the Schools or Faculties concerned. Some subjects have specific guidelines for numbers and types of papers outside the subject.
Graduate study options
Master of Arts
Graduate Certificate
Graduate Diploma
Postgraduate Certificate
Postgraduate Diploma
Master of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
BA under the School of Arts, School of Psychological and Social Sciences or School of Law, Politics, and Philosophy
You'll learn about human nature and the human mind as they are revealed by the arts, the languages, the politics, and the cultures of the past and the present. The effective communication skills developed while studying the Arts are valued as essential in the modern workplace.
With a BA from the School of Arts, School of Psychological and Social Sciences or School of Law, Politics, and Philosophy, you have the opportunity to tailor your study to suit your passions and interests, across faculties within the University.
You'll have access to Waikato's modern, purpose-built teaching and performance venues, including the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts and on-campus television studios. You will be encouraged to extend and perfect your own practice, and take your place within New Zealand and international creative communities.
BA under the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies
The BA in Māori and Indigenous Studies equips you with core knowledge in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and the ability to critically assess its local, national, and global significance.
This degree will:
-
Foster leadership skills within local, national, and international indigenous communities.
-
Prepare you to contribute to the development of whānau/hapū/iwi/Māori communities.
-
Strengthen your ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups and individuals.
-
Cultivate an appreciation for indigenous and global issues, especially Māori's role within them.
-
Build high-level communication skills in both English and Māori, enabling you to engage with Te Ao Māori.
Graduates will gain critical analysis skills that allow for innovative contributions to New Zealand's social and economic development, labor market, and communities.
Career pathways for BA graduates include roles in the cultural and heritage sector, media, environmental management, Treaty of Waitangi issues, and health, welfare, and education agencies, as well as government departments like Te Puni Kokiri.
What our students are saying
Contact us
International Enquiries
